Blog Description - A collection of media articles and tweets highlighting 1) the dangers of sun glare while driving, 2) the issue of shadowing due to urban development, and 3) random fun sun facts.

Blog Purpose and Disclaimer - This blog compiles and shares public interest stories in an effort to educate and raise awareness. Sources, credits and links are provided for articles and images, and it is my belief that this blog complies with the fair dealing exception in Canada's Copyright Act. However, if you wish your item removed, simply ask.

Most articles, including this one, focus on sleep deprivation and drowsy driving. Yes, changes in sun position and sun glare are briefly mentioned, yet I believe this is a vastly overlooked contributor to crashes after the time change.

This proposed building, near Bloor and St. George Streets in Toronto, has been designed to minimize shadows on nearby Taddle Creek Park. The article explains how the building’s twisting shape reduces shadowing.

Saturday, November 18, 2017

The following relate to the dangers of sun glare while driving, and traffic safety in general. They were derived from our twitter feed @SunPosition and include a brief synopsis of the news story and a link to the original article.

One person injured in Keene crash today via @keene_sentinel

7:45 AM crash.

Early morning sun glare caused one vehicle to sideswipe another at the intersection of Route 12 and Wyman Road in Keene NH.

October Is Now The Second Deadliest Month On The Roadway. Why? via Alexandria News

This deviates from the pattern of the past 30 years or so. With the sun rising and setting along east-west streets, commuters face the sun during either their morning or evening commutes in many cities. Not that this is any different from what is was 30 years ago.

Changing sun and weather conditions can affect rider safety during the Fall. Your after work ride may now be in the dark; your morning ride might be during low sun conditions when it may be difficult for drivers to see you.

A seriously injured senior was found on Farm Lane in East Hampton, an apparent victim of hit and run. A neighbour said that sun glare was very bad around the curve where the victim was hit and that the victim may have been in shade from foliage. Sun glare was noted the following day at around the same time.

Motorists urged to be alert, deer mating season gets underway, days get shorter via @LakewoodScoop

Apparently there are 1000’s of deer/vehicle collisions in New Jersey each year. Most occur during the fall mating season, and activity peaks during the early morning and around sunset – when driving visibility may be poor due to sun glare.

Stopped and waiting to turn left off Princes Highway into the Tower Hill State Game Reserve in Victoria (Australia), Canadian tourist was hit from behind by driver claiming sun glare.after cresting a hill.

New York State Senator George Latimer in Serious Undisclosed Car Crash via Talk of the Sound

Westbound 5:00 PM.

Latimer allegedly ran a red light on Wilmot Road in New Rochelle near the Scarsdale border and struck another vehicle. He claimed he couldn’t see the colour of the light due to sun glare. The author of the article (Robert Cox) questions the validity of the claim.

The following relate to urban development and urban design in general, and to specific projects with sun/shade issues in particular. They were derived from our twitter feed @SunPosition and include a brief synopsis of the news story and a link to the original article.

Old South Church puts a $19 million price on sunlight via @BostonGlobe

The historic 142-year-old Copley Square church wants $19M from developer Boston Properties as compensation for shadows from a planned tower at Back Bay Station. The fear is that the shade will potentially cause moisture damage to its masonry and darken its stained-glass windows.

Melbourne developer Salta Properties and Malaysian developer Asia One plan to appeal a decision by the Victorian Planning Minister to reduce the height of their proposed tower in an effort to mitigate shadowing on a riverside park.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Sample sunrise/sunset tables
for November 2017 have
been posted.The
tables include the times of rise and set as well as the time of solar
noon and the total number of daylight hours for each day of the
month. Note: All times are given in Standard Time; adjust for
Daylight Saving (Summer) Time if in effect.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Torontohenge is the name given for the phenomenon that occurs when the sun rises or sets in line with Toronto's major east-west streets downtown, giving photographers a great opportunity to capture the sun as its top edge grazes the horizon between the canyon walls of buildings on either side of the street.

Photo: By Sevtibidou (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Although Torontohenge technically falls on the dates given below for 2017, great photos can be taken for about a week before the August and October dates and a week after the February and April dates as the sun hovers directly above the street. Not great for driving, but quite a sight just the same. Best Photo Ops in October
In October, great photo ops will occur before the 25th. For example, the sun will cross, and be perched above, the street at about 6:12 PM on the 21st and 6:15 PM on the 23rd.
In a nutshell, there will be opportunities for great photos between now and the official Torontohenge date of October 25th.The Torontohenge dates for 2017 are:

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Torontohenge is the name given for the phenomenon that occurs when the sun rises or sets in line with Toronto's major east-west streets downtown, giving photographers a great opportunity to capture the sun as its top edge grazes the horizon between the canyon walls of buildings on either side of the street.

Photo: By Sevtibidou (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Although Torontohenge technically falls on the dates given below for 2017, great photos can be taken for about a week before the August and October dates and a week after the February and April dates as the sun hovers directly above the street. Not great for driving, but quite a sight just the same. Best Photo Ops in August

In August, the best photo ops will occur before the 23rd. For example, on the 22nd the sun will break loose from the horizon at about 6:33 AM and sit fully above the street.

Similarly, the rising sun will cross the street and be fully perched above it at about 6:35 AM on the 21st, 6:37 AM on the 20th, 6:38 AM on the 19th, etc.

On August 16th, a full week before Torontohenge, the sun will cross the street at about 6:43 AM at a height of about 2.5 degrees above the horizon (i.e. about the width of your thumb at arm’s length).
Tomorrow morning, August 13th, the sun will cross at about 6:47 AM at a height of about 3.8 degrees.

In a nutshell, there will be many opportunities for great photos between now and the official Torontohenge date of August 23rd.The Torontohenge dates for 2017 are:

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Join fellow Canadians from sea to sea to sea on July 1, 2017, by watching the sun cross the meridian through Province House, the birthplace of Canada.

photo source: Parks Canada

Province House National Historic Site

"The story of Canada as a confederation began in this historic Charlottetown building. In September 1864, Province House was the scene of the first conference on colonial union. Delegates from the colonies of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Canada met in the legislative council chamber to begin discussions, which led to confederation in 1867."(Source: Parks Canada)

Province House, a National Historic Site operated by Parks Canada, is the official birthplace of Canada. Province House is a Charlottetown landmark.

On July 1, 2017, Canada celebrates its 150th birthday. At 1:16 PM Atlantic Daylight Time, the sun passes directly over Province House - more specifically, the sun crosses the meridian that runs through it. Solar Noon. High Noon. A spotlight shining over Canada's birthplace that can be seen by Canadians from sea to sea to sea.

Join other Canadians celebrating Canada 150 by observing the sun for a moment as it lines up with Province House. Let this moment unite us all.

Below are the local times in each of Canada's time zones at which to observe the sun as it crosses the meridian that runs through Province House on July 1st, 2017.

Take a moment, have a peek, and know that the sun is marking the spot of Canada's birth.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Torontohenge is the name given for the phenomenon that occurs when the sun rises or sets in line with Toronto's major east-west streets downtown, giving photographers a great opportunity to capture the sun as it perches on the horizon between the canyon walls of buildings on either side of the street.

Although Torontohenge technically falls on the dates given below for 2017, great photos can be taken for about a week before the August and October dates and a week after the February and April dates as the sun hovers directly above the street. Not great for driving, but quite a sight just the same. The Torontohenge dates for 2017 are: